Friday, July 6, 2007

Running Tip - Water Water Everywhere!

Drink water and drink often. For our runners out there I'm sure you have heard this time and time again. But really, how much water should you drink?

Renowned nutritionist Jenna Bell-Wilson advices runners to "drink water every 15-20 minutes during exercise." But she also points out the importance of determining your individual needs before grabbing that water bottle. First you should determine your sweat rate; you can do this by weighing yourself before you run, then weighing yourself again after an hour of running. For every pound you lose in this hour, you need to drink 16 oz of water to replenish.

So, if you weigh 140 pounds before you run and afterwards you weigh 138, you need to drink 32 ounces of water to replenish the loss.

There is more to it than just drinking water when you're thirsty. So keep healthy and drink up!

Jenna Bell-Wilson also just led a nutrition chat forum on NewBalanceConnections.com . Check back frequently to see who will be holding a forum next. Note: You must create an account to have access to the live chats.

--Cassie